Trump Returns to Texas for 3rd Rally in a Month as GOP Support Slips Among Latinos
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 7
Trump Returns to Texas for 3rd Rally in a Month as GOP Support Slips Among Latinos
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 7
Summary
San Antonio hosts Trump on Wednesday for his second Texas trip in less than a week, with Republicans defending unexpectedly tight Senate and House races in a state he carried comfortably in 2024.
Texas voters and strategists tied the strain on the GOP coalition to living costs, especially diesel at $5.72 a gallon versus about $3.22 a year earlier, squeezing truck-dependent workers, ranchers and small businesses.
South Texas unease is showing up in individual defections: one two-time Trump voter said he may skip the Senate race and plans to back Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar in the 28th District.
Polling underscores the mixed picture — 27% of Hispanic voters view the GOP positively, down from 30% in 2022, while 24% rate Trump’s MAGA movement positively, up from 18% in 2023.
Republicans argue they do not need to match Trump’s 2024 Latino margins to stay competitive, but analysts say the bloc is behaving more like pocketbook voters than a fixed partisan base.
How will soaring diesel prices and inflation reshape the economic priorities of working-class voters in historically affordable regions like South Texas?
Can targeted relief for transportation and agriculture stabilize grocery prices before the cost-of-living crisis deepens for everyday consumers?
What immediate economic solutions can effectively address the affordability crisis for families feeling left behind by rising living costs?